The Chicago Tribune’s Steve Chapman gave us most of the pertinent details about Jane Doe, the pregnant young woman too often referred to as a “girl” (“Forced childbirth or voluntary abortion?” Thursday October 26th, 2017) and compared her case to the practice in China of forced abortions and coerced sterilizations. A good start.

A veteran Chicago Police Officer, I have worked off-duty as a clinic guard. I’ve seen firsthand the anger of the zealots who cannot dissuade the staff from going to work nor a woman trying to control her own reproductive destiny. They turned their rage on the clinic workers and on me too, sending me ostensibly caring cards — but also some with vague threats. Such Christian compassion did one man display that he stepped on my foot and punched me! Perhaps he imagined himself as Jesus at the money-changers’ table? He fled before the on-duty officers arrived, getting away with the assault and battery.

Why did Mr. Chapman not mention who, or what entity, was ready to step up for the potential baby should the Trump juggernaut have been successful in forcing the young female humans to go to term? Who helps the (potential) mothers for the entire duration of any baby-then-child’s life?

He noted none because there is no such animal.

The anti-choice crowd doesn’t care about other lives, they’re all about power and control. They don’t want the babies born in the US to stay here — those would be anchor babies! — they want the young women to be forced to see the pregnancies through,then ship ’em all out to those countries they were escaping from!

Nobody at ICE or elsewhere demanded to know, “Who’s the guy who got you pregnant?”, nor to sue him as the at-fault party for the legal and medical expenses the United States has now ponied up. Some man had a part in this, but because they can’t see him they willfully and swiftly drop the matter to focus their laser-like attention on the pregnancy.

Sometimes they provide diapers and baby clothes for the expectant one’s offspring. But they don’t put themselves in the picture for the long haul, they don’t provide medical care if the infant is born damaged or addicted, they mostly don’t help the mother — any mother — get clean and stay sober, or help her get education and a worthwhile job. Do they provide the child with a good education, vaccinations, or nutritious meals? Warm coats and hats in wintry regions? Books? All for the child’s entire life? Indeed, they do not, not en masse, not every pregnancy, not every woman. Nobody can count on antis.

And how much better would it be, wouldn’t it, if women who didn’t want to get pregnant had the means not to? What if the pro-life advocates supplied contraception to women and men? Nope – that makes too much sense! That’s encouraging sex outside marriage (which, by the way, is happening anyway)!

I guess they’re okay with her lack of choices, of returning her and the unwanted child to their country of origin (maybe while boasting, “We got her to have the baby! We saved a life!”), where she might hope for the best, perhaps, but where the women often say that they would assuredly suffer more abuse, from parents, other relatives, and the system as well.

Now there’s been a Jane Poe and a Jane Roe, in similar straits. Yes, it does cost a lot of money to raise a child. Those who are anti-abortion and who don’t put their money where we find these hungry mouths and minds should be dismissed and stymied at every turn, not given ever more power to control us. We must vote them out!

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About majaramirez

former assistant instructor in tai chi chu'an; current TreeKeeper (#467); former Master Gardener; member of American Bird Conservancy, Audubon, Fraternal Order of Police, and Mensa; career cop, now assigned as Warrant/Summons Officer at Branches 29 & 42; wife and mom.